I am still alive. I survived the weekend without Frozen. Had emailed Apple about that stupid 90-day single-used iTunes account policy, and got a reply today. Here is my rebuttal, which I posted in 4 comments on an Apple feedback site:

Thanks to Thamara who made an exception to the Apple 90-day single-iTunes user lockout period so I was able to view Frozen on our home computer. The $20 download (we chose SD) was on my wife's laptop which she took with her on a business trip, leaving me home alone with a 4 1/2 year-old who had just hit her peak of Frozen addiction. Of course, the email and exception came tonight, just as I was putting the kids to bed, and in fact we had just arrived home from the airport, having picked up my wife, so the whole thing is a bit moot at this point.

Somehow we survived the weekend without downloading Frozen anew, or even renting it, though that thought did indeed cross my mind. Instead, we watched the Netflix version called The Snow Queen, which features B-grade digital animation, lacklustre..

The form doesn't allow longer comments! So I left ANOTHER comment:

So as I was saying, though clearly it is an inferior product, my daughter enjoyed parts of The Snow Queen, and even asked to watch it again last night! Of course, by then it was bedtime, and too late for videos of any kind. But I digress. I was curious as to why Thamara did not mention to me the option of Family Sharing, but then I started to read your policy on it and it is clear my software is not up to speed. Then the more I read the more uncomfortable I began to feel, as the terminology you are using sounds a bit cultish: "The Organizer may remove any Family member from the Family, which will terminate that Family member's ability to initiate authorized purchases on the Organizer's payment method, and that Family Member’s ability to view and share other Family members' products and..."

And of course then I notice that the "send comment" button is COMPLETELY INVISIBLE! HA! I continue:

Sorry, we were cut-off there by the comments limitation. To continue with some of the cult-sounding information in your Terms and Conditions: "...information. When a Family member leaves or is removed from a Family, the remaining Family members may no longer be able to view or download the departing member’s products or information, or access products previously downloaded from the departing Family member, including purchases made on the Organizer's payment method while the departing member was part of the Family." Doesn't that all sound a bit weird to you? It gets better! Read this: "If you have made In-App Purchases from an app originally purchased by a departed Family member or downloaded from a Family member and you no longer belong to the Family, you need to purchase the app yourself"

And the final volley:

"You can only belong to one Family at a time, and may join any Family no more than twice per year. You can change the store account you associate with a Family no more than once every 90 days." So again, even with the Family, one runs into the 90-day wall. Why is that? What "consumer protection" words of wisdom does Thamara give me? "I know not being able to access multiple ID’s across multiple platforms is inconvenient but it is there to ensure you can locate any and all purchases without issue or complaint, when another ID gets mixed in it could be problematic." So the 90-day rule is there basically to prevent complaints? I think dealing with child-rearing and employment means we can probably keep track of our individual purchases. BTW my name is Chris, not John.

Clo is home, asleep from jet-lag. The kids are in bed. I'm on my way there soon enough.

24 octobre 2013

15 octobre 2013

8 octobre 2013

8 mai 2013

24 avril 2013

from:

DEAR PM

to:

"Jenni Byrne, Conservative Party of Canada"

cc:

pm@pm.gc.ca

date:

Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 11:30 AM

subject:

Re: Trudeau’s team tells Al Jazeera he wants “engagement” with Iran

Hi Jenni,

Thanks for the email! I am glad the Conservatives are taking such a tough stance against Iran. Can we put up more sanctions and cut all diplomatic and economic ties with them as well? Maybe we can invade them and bring democracy to the people? Just a thought.

We know Justin Trudeau can't resist telling his audience what it wants to hear, even if it means making different promises to different groups of people – but this interview with Al Jazeera, a state-owned Middle Eastern media organization, goes too far.One of Justin Trudeau’s top advisors, former Liberal MP Omar Alghabra, told Al Jazeera that Canada needs “engagement” with Iran.In an exclusive interview with the state-owned media organization, Alghabra said “on the issue of Iran, Trudeau has clearly stated that he is for engagement.”After news that the RCMP foiled a suspected terrorist plot, which the RCMP said was supported by Al Qaeda operatives in Iran, it’s obvious that these comments are unacceptable – and that Justin Trudeau lacks the judgement to be Prime Minister.The Conservative government has taken a strong stance against terrorism and in defence of Israel, the only real democracy in the region. We support freedom and democracy in Iran – not the Iranian regime. We even listed the al-Qods force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity. Canada needs less, not more, "engagement" with these groups!Under the strong leadership of Stephen Harper, our government will continue to take steps to protect Canadians and support the global fight against terrorism. And we need your help.If you oppose Trudeau’s plan to “engage” with the Iranian regime, announced of course on Al Jazeera, can you chip in $25 or whatever you can afford?Sincerely,Jenni ByrneNational Campaign Manager, 2011P.S. Click here to read the full article on Al Jazeera – and make sure you forward this e-mail to your friend